Few people have been as reliable for FC Cincinnati as defender Ian Murphy. Since his arrival to the club as the 13th overall pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, Murphy, 24, has made 93 appearances with the club and has been instrumental in the success FCC has had in those three seasons. He has been so ingrained in the success that, as of now, only the 2023 MLS MVP and FC Cincinnati captain Luciano Acosta has appeared in more matches than the young defender.
Murphy has now been rewarded for that reliability and performance, signing a contract extension through 2026 with an option for 2027, securing his future with The Orange and Blue. The California native still had an option year on his current contract to be activated for 2025 yet Murphy's performance and commitment to the club have rewarded him with a guaranteed deal.
"I'm really happy to be here. I wanted to stay here and that was a big thing to me. I really like the city, I love the club and it just means a lot, in my opinion, that FCC have faith in me," Murphy said in an exclusive interview with FCCincinnati.com. "That they had the faith in me to draft me and then to give me another contract is a big thing for me. I'm grateful for the opportunity and will keep working hard to prove that faith was worth it."
With an ever-changing group of center backs rotating around him, Murphy, a draft pick from Duke University, has been an anchor in turbulent times. And while he would, and will, tell you himself he has plenty to learn, grow and work towards, his availability and calming presence have helped stabilize the defensive core the last three years.
“We’re happy to extend Ian and keep him at the club,” said Chris Albright, FC Cincinnati General Manager. “Ian has demonstrated tremendous growth in his three years here, and he’s played a key role in our club’s success since he was drafted. He’s a great teammate and a talented defender, and we’re looking forward to his continued development here with FC Cincinnati.”
Murphy is a quiet guy in general. He lets his play talk for him and keeps to himself in public and on social media. While he has a big smile and a fun sense of humor, it's rare that the public gets an opportunity to see it.
On game days, on the training pitch, and on the field in general it's all business. In the locker room, he is usually one of the first to depart to avoid the media spotlight, no matter the outcome. Even when he’s 'caught' by the media (or this writer) after some of his best performances and in moments where he has shined the most, the left footed CB is quick to pass the spotlight onto his teammates and downplay his own contributions.
"I like to operate in the shadows," Murphy says with a smile. "It's easier. That way you never see me coming."
While quiet (or less talkative with the public, may be the proper way to describe him), it is typically a treat to hear from Murphy when he does agree to pre-match press conferences or when he is available for post-game press scrums. The defender always presents a unique or interesting perspective that provides a new way of looking at the question and better informs the public in ways a canned answer never can. While he's never said anything wild or wacky, in that sense, Murphy provides answers that are refreshing and intriguing in ways that, if you didn't know him, you wouldn't expect based on his quiet demeanor. It is, in this writer's opinion, a true pleasure to ask him questions and hear his perspectives.
That part of Ian Murphy stems directly from his background as a college athlete.
A sense of pride for Murphy comes from the pathway he has taken to his MLS career and now second contract. As a college player, Murphy has beaten the odds. Most players in MLS come from internal academy pathways or international transfers into the league. The MLS SuperDraft, which allows MLS clubs to draft the rights of college stars from across the United States and Canada, is a wellspring of talent for some clubs but the vast majority of draft picks every year never even glimpse the heights of Murphy with accolades like an MLS appearance, or start, let alone the 93 he already has.
In that way, the California native has already beaten the odds. But even within his draft class, Murphy continues to stand out.
"I've always liked looking at the other people in my draft class. Just keeping track of them and what they're doing," Murphy said. "Just kind of competing with them a little bit. In my head asking, 'where do you stack up?'
"It's different in soccer, coming from the college path, especially because in other sports, like football, basketball, baseball and other stuff, going to college is the main pipeline. (In MLS) not a lot of players from college get that chance, or even get to a second contract…so I'm thankful to FCC for having faith in me."
A standout at Duke University, Murphy was an ACC Academic Honor Roll recipient in his final three years of college. He graduated in 2021 with a degree in Political Science with a minor in Psychology and takes great pride in not only his path to MLS as a college athlete but in having his degree as a 'backup' as well for when his soccer playing career one day ends.
Murphy's outpaced his peers from that draft class, though, in terms of performance by a pretty wide margin. Funny enough, the only one comparable to him in terms of MLS play is his teammate Roman Celentano, who was taken second in that class and signed a contract extension at the end of the 2023 season. Murphy leads all players from that draft class with 93 appearances across all competitions and is second only to Celentano with 71 MLS appearances to Celentano's 80.
"To be called upon so much, again, it means a lot," Murphy smiled. "To be in the same conversation as a guy like Lucho, in any way, I'll take that. I'm happy with that for sure."
At 24 years old and creeping up on his 100th appearance for the club, a plateau that only five players in club history have reached thus far, teammates have begun to joke that with his contract renewal, Murphy is the newest "vet" on the team and brings a worldliness to training that he, apparently, did not have just a few days ago.
The pathways through the college ranks provide a unique perspective on how to survive as a professional. While at Duke, for example, Murphy was an elite player in an elite conference and took his Blue Devils to Conference and NCAA tournaments as top player on his side and was relied upon as such. That all comes to a quick end the moment you are drafted, and not only does the performance level change, but your role in the club does too essentially overnight. That can be a jarring change in atmosphere for any hot-shot young player who's trying to break into the league after being the Big Man on Campus for the previous four seasons.
"Nick Hagglund was huge for me, just consistent throughout, helping me just feel comfortable within the team and making the adjustment. Then also just giving me tips and advice from a senior guy in the squad in the same position," Murphy said. "Then Matt (Miazga) came in and now Miles (Robinson) and they just make it alot easier to be me and play.”
"It can be hard during the season if you're not getting minutes. You still have to come in everyday with a positive attitude, like, being excited to play and to get better. But it can take a toll on you. You could start thinking, 'Oh, I'm not gonna play. I don't need to try hard.' Those guys help guide you in knowing you're preparing yourself for the moment, so when the moment comes you can take it."
Now, Murphy tries to share his experience with younger players, especially those who have come into the squad through a similar pathway or at a comparable age. Passing down the advice that was given to him.
"I tell those players to make sure that they're ready for any opportunity. Just be ready to step up. To be patient, but when you get your chance, make the most out of it because you never know where or when that moment will come," Murphy said. "You just kind of gotta wait your turn. Maybe you're not playing as much or you may be with the second team, but that's an opportunity too. You just gotta be patient and have faith all willl workout, because if you work hard it will."
That hard work has paid off in many ways, the aforementioned success in MLS play with FC Cincinnati chief among them. But earlier this year, Murphy was also called into the US Men's National Team camp for the first time in his young career. An achievement that he says he didn't see coming but one he always worked towards. So, in line with his mindset with all other things, the goal was to go in and prove himself even further rather than celebrate the camp call-in as an achievement.
"My goal going into that camp was to impress," Murphy said. "Obviously, I was excited. I didn't really expect it, but I was excited to go. But when the excitement wore off, I wanted to do my best to go in there, try to impress and make it so that this isn't a one-off. So that it's not my last time called back. I want to try and get back there."
For a quiet guy, Ian Murphy has made a big impact with FC Cincinnati in such a short time. The defender has made himself an invaluable member of the squad by virtue of his availability and positional flexibility and continues to develop into more of a star with each passing week. While he's typically most suited on the left of FC Cincinnati's three-man defensive backline, Murphy has taken on every challenge posed to him when forced to move to the middle or anywhere else on the field. But like Murphy said, and this extrapolates to all things, he's 'making sure this isn't a ‘one off.'
